Jeroboam Warned, Stricken

1 Now behold°, there came°aa man° of God° from Judah° to Bethel° by the word° of the LORD°, while Jeroboam° was standing° by the altar°bto burn° incense°.
2aHe cried° against° the altar° by the word° of the LORD°, and said°, “O altar°, altar°, thus° says° the LORD°, ‘Behold°, a son° shall be born° to the house° of David°, bJosiah° by name°; and on you he shall sacrifice° the priests° of the high° places° who burn° incense° on you, and human° bones° shall be burned° on you.’”
3 Then he gave° a Isign° the same° day°, saying°, “aThis° is the Isign° which° the LORD° has spoken°, ‘Behold°, the altar° shall be split° apart° and the IIashes° which° are on it shall be poured° out.’”
4 Now when the king° heard° the saying° of the man° of God°, which° he cried° against° the altar° in Bethel°, Jeroboam° stretched° out his hand° from the altar°, saying°, “Seize° him.” But his hand° which° he stretched° out against° him dried° up, so that he could° not draw° it back° to himself.
5 The altar° also was split° apart° and the Iashes° were poured° out from the altar°, according to the IIsign° which° the man° of God° had given° by the word° of the LORD°.
6 The king° said° to the man° of God°, “Please°Iaentreat° the LORD° your God°, and pray° for me, that my hand° may be restored° to me.” So bthe man° of God°IIentreated° the LORD°, and the king’s° hand° was restored° to him, and it became° as it was before°.
7 Then the king° said° to the man° of God°, “Come° home° with me and refresh° yourself, and aI will give° you a reward°.”
8 But the man° of God° said° to the king°, “aIf° you were to give° me half° your house° I would not go° with you, nor° would I eat° bread° or drink° water° in this° place°.
9 For so°Iit was commanded° me by the word° of the LORD°, saying°, ‘You shall eat° no° bread°, nor° drink° water°, nor° return° by the way° which° you came°.’”
10 So he went° another° way° and did not return° by the way° which° he came° to Bethel°.

The Disobedient Prophet

11 ¶ Now aan old° prophet° was living° in Bethel°; and his Isons° came° and told° him all° the deeds° which° the man° of God° had done° that day° in Bethel°; the words° which° he had spoken° to the king°, these also they related° to their father°.
12 Their father° said° to them, “IWhich°° way° did he go°?” Now his sons°IIhad seen° the way° which° the man° of God° who° came° from Judah° had gone°.
13 Then he said° to his sons°, “Saddle° the donkey° for me.” So they saddled° the donkey° for him and he rode° away on it.
14 So he went° after° the man° of God° and found° him sitting° under°Ian oak°; and he said° to him, “Are you the man° of God° who° came° from Judah°?” And he said°, “I am.”
15 Then he said° to him, “Come° home° with me and eat° bread°.”
16 He said°, “aI cannot°° return° with you, nor° go° with you, nor° will I eat° bread° or drink° water° with you in this° place°.
17 For a command° [came] to me aby the word° of the LORD°, ‘You shall eat° no° bread°, nor° drink° water° there°; do not return° by going° the way° which° you came°.’”
18 He said° to him, “aI also° am a prophet° like° you, and ban angel° spoke° to me by the word° of the LORD°, saying°, ‘Bring° him back° with you to your house°, that he may eat° bread° and drink° water°.’” [But] che lied° to him.
19 So he went° back° with him, and ate° bread° in his house° and drank° water°.

20 ¶ Now it came° about, as they were sitting° down° at the table°, that the word° of the LORD° came° to the prophet° who° had brought° him back°;
21 and he cried° to the man° of God° who° came° from Judah°, saying°, “Thus° says° the LORD°, ‘Because°° you have Idisobeyed° the IIcommand° of the LORD°, and have not observed° the commandment° which° the LORD° your God° commanded° you,
22 but have returned° and eaten° bread° and drunk° water° in the place° of which° He said° to you, “Eat° no° bread° and drink° no° water°”; your body° shall not come° to the grave° of your fathers°.’”
23 It came° about after° he had eaten° bread° and after° he had drunk°, that he saddled° the donkey° for him, for the prophet° whom° he had brought° back°.
24 Now when he had gone°, aa lion° met° him on the way° and killed° him, and his body° was thrown° on the road°, with the donkey° standing° beside° it; the lion° also was standing° beside° the body°.
25 And behold°, men° passed° by and saw° the body° thrown° on the road°, and the lion° standing° beside° the body°; so they came° and told° [it] in the city° where°athe old° prophet° lived°.

26 ¶ Now when the prophet° who° brought° him back° from the way° heard° [it], he said°, “It is the man° of God°, who°Idisobeyed° the IIcommand° of the LORD°; therefore the LORD° has given° him to the lion°, which has torn° him and killed° him, according to the word° of the LORD° which° He spoke° to him.”
27 Then he spoke° to his sons°, saying°, “Saddle° the donkey° for me.” And they saddled° [it].
28 He went° and found° his body° thrown° on the road° with the donkey° and the lion° standing° beside° the body°; the lion° had not eaten° the body° nor° torn° the donkey°.
29 So the prophet° took° up the body° of the man° of God° and laid° it on the donkey° and brought° it back°, and he came° to the city° of the old° prophet° to mourn° and to bury° him.
30 He laid° his body° in his own grave°, and they mourned° over° him, [saying], “aAlas°, my brother°!”
31 After° he had buried° him, he spoke° to his sons°, saying°, “When I die°, bury° me in the grave° in which° the man° of God° is buried°; alay° my bones° beside° his bones°.
32aFor the thing° shall surely° come° to pass° which° he cried° by the word° of the LORD° against° the altar° in Bethel° and bagainst° all° the houses° of the high° places° which° are in the cities° of cSamaria°.”

33 ¶ After° this° event° Jeroboam° did not return° from his evil° way°, but aagain° he made° priests° of the high° places° from among Iall° the people°; bany who would°, he ordained°°, to be priests° of the high° places°.
34IaThis° event° became° sin° to the house° of Jeroboam°, beven to blot° [it] out and destroy° [it] from off° the face° of the earth°.

Jeroboam's hand, that offered violence to him that prophesied against his altar at Beth-el, withereth,

1 ¶ And, behold,² there cameºª a manº of Godº out of Judahº² by the wordº of the LORDº unto² Bethel:º and Jeroboamº stoodºª by² the altarº to burn incense.ºª2 And he criedºª against² the altarº in the wordº of the LORD,º and said,ºª O altar,º altar,º thus² saithºª the LORD;º Behold,² a childº shall be bornºª unto the houseº of David,º Josiahº by name;º and upon² thee shall he offerºª² the priestsº of the high placesº that burn incenseºª upon² thee, and men'sº bonesº shall be burntºª upon² thee. 3 And he gaveºª a signº the same² day,º saying,ºª This² [is] the signº which² the LORDº hath spoken;ºª Behold,² the altarº shall be rent,ºª and the ashesº that² [are] upon² it shall be poured out.ºª4 And it came to pass,² when kingº Jeroboamº heardºª² the sayingº of the manº of God,º which² had criedºª against² the altarº in Bethel,º that he put forthºª² his handº from²² the altar,º saying,ºª Lay holdºª on him. And his hand,º which² he put forthºª against² him, dried up,ºª so that he couldºª not² pull it in againºª to² him. 5 The altarº also was rent,ºª and the ashesº poured outºª from² the altar,º according to the signº which² the manº of Godº had givenºª by the wordº of the LORD.º

and at the prayer of the prophet is restored.

6 And the kingº answeredºª and saidºª unto² the manº of God,º Intreatºª now²² the faceº of the LORDº thy God,º and prayºª for² me, that my handº may be restored me again.ºª² And the manº of Godº besoughtºª¹² the LORD,º² and the king'sº handº was restored him again,ºª² and became² as [it was] before.º

An old prophet, seducing him, bringeth him back.

11 ¶ Now there dweltºª an¹ oldº² prophetº in Bethel;º and his sonsº cameºª and toldºª him² all² the worksº that² the manº of Godº had doneºª that dayº in Bethel:º² the wordsº which² he had spokenºª unto² the king,º them they toldºª also to their father.º12 And their fatherº saidºª unto² them, What²² wayº wentºª he? For his sonsº had seenºª² what¹² wayº the manº of Godº went,ºª which² cameºª from Judah.º²13 And he saidºª unto² his sons,º Saddleºª me the ass.º So they saddledºª him the ass:º and he rodeºª thereon,²14 And went¹ª² afterº the manº of God,º and foundºª him sittingºª under² an oak:º and he saidºª unto² him, [Art] thou² the manº of Godº that² camestºª from² Judah?º And he said,ºª I² [am]. 15 Then he saidºª unto² him, Come¹ª² homeº with² me, and eatºª bread.º16 And he said,ºª I mayºª not² returnºª with² thee, nor go inºª with² thee: neither² will I eatºª breadº nor² drinkºª waterº with² thee in this² place:º17 For² it was saidº to² me by the wordº of the LORD,º Thou shalt eatºª no² breadº nor² drinkºª waterº there,² nor² turn againºª to go¹ª² by the wayº that² thou camest.ºª18 He saidºª unto him, I² [am] a prophetº also² as thou [art]; and an angelº spakeºª unto² me by the wordº of the LORD,º saying,ºª Bring him backºª with² thee into² thine house,º that he may eatºª breadº and drinkºª water.º [But] he liedºª unto him. 19 So he went backºª with² him, and did eatºª breadº in his house,º and drankºª water.º

23 ¶ And it came to pass,² afterº he had eatenºª bread,º and afterº he had drunk,ºª that he saddledºª for him the ass,º [to wit], for the prophetº whom² he had brought back.ºª

slain by a lion,

24 And when he was gone,¹ª² a lionº metºª him by the way,º and slewºª him: and his carcaseº was² castºª in the way,º and the assº stoodºª byº it, the lionº also stoodºª by² the carcase.º25 And, behold,² men¹² passed by,ºª and sawºª² the carcaseº castºª in the way,º and the lionº standingºª byº the carcase:º and they cameºª and toldºª [it] in the cityº where² the oldº prophetº dwelt.ºª

buried by the old prophet,

26 And when the prophetº that² brought him backºª from² the wayº heardºª [thereof], he said,ºª It² [is] the manº of God,º who² was disobedientºª unto² the wordº of the LORD:º therefore the LORDº hath deliveredºª him unto the lion,º which hath tornºª him, and slainºª him, according to the wordº of the LORD,º which² he spakeºª unto him. 27 And he spakeºª to² his sons,º saying,ºª Saddleºª me² the ass.º And they saddledºª [him]. 28 And he went¹ª² and foundºª² his carcaseº castºª in the way,º and the assº and the lionº standingºª byº the carcase:º the lionº had not² eatenºª² the carcase,º nor² tornºª² the ass.º29 And the prophetº took upºª² the carcaseº of the manº of God,º and laid¹ª² it upon² the ass,º and brought it back:ºª and the oldº prophetº cameºª to² the city,º to mournºª and to buryºª him. 30 And he laid¹ª²² his carcaseº in his own grave;º and they mournedºª over² him, [saying], Alas,º my brother!º

who confirmeth his prophecy.

31 And it came to pass,² afterº he had buriedºª him, that he spakeºª to² his sons,º saying,ºª When I am dead,ºª then buryºª me in the sepulchreº wherein² the manº of Godº [is] buried;ºª lay¹ª²² my bonesº besideº his bones:º32 For² the sayingº which² he criedºª by the wordº of the LORDº against² the altarº in Bethel,º and against² all² the housesº of the high placesº which² [are] in the citiesº of Samaria,º shall surely come to pass.º

Jeroboam's obstinacy.

33 ¶ Afterº this² thingº Jeroboamº returnedºª not² from his evil¹ way,º²² but madeºª againºª of the lowestº² of the peopleº priestsº of the high places:º whosoever would,º he consecratedººª² him, and he became² [one] of the priestsº of the high places.º34 And this² thingº became² sinº unto the houseº of Jeroboam,º even to cut [it] off,ºª and to destroyºª [it] from off²² the faceº of the earth.º